A Top Royal May Have To Back Out Of Christmas With The Queen

It's the first Christmas for Queen Elizabeth II without her husband, Prince Philip, and the British monarch received more bad news! According to the Daily Mail, one of the top royals may need to back out on Christmas plans due to COVID. The news came after Elizabeth decided not to spend Christmas at her beloved Sandringham estate this year due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus — instead, she plans to stay put at Windsor Castle.

The monarch, who celebrated her 95th birthday in April, won't be alone as close family members will be visiting her majesty on Christmas day. Still, it's probably a good decision Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided not to visit the Queen for Christmas because the Omicron virus could double or triple COVID infection risk on planes, as top medical adviser to the world's airlines, David Powell, told Bloomberg.

But royal watchers will be sad when they find out who might need to back out of the Queen's Christmas celebration!

Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne won't join her for Christmas at Windsor Castle because her husband reportedly tested positive for COVID. The Daily Mail reported on December 22 that Anne's husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, is recovering from the virus, which means Princess Anne will quarantine. So it will likely be a tough holiday for the queen, as her son, Prince Andrew, might also stay away from Windsor due to his ongoing scandal. (Andrew is fighting a civil lawsuit for alleged sexual assault filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffery Epstein's alleged victims, and there are reports the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, avoids his older sibling due to the controversy.)

Still, there is good news — Prince William and Kate Middleton, along with their brood, will likely join the monarch, as The Mirror reported. And then there's Prince Edward's wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex. The Express reported that "the Queen has grown increasingly close to the Countess of Wessex who has become a trusted companion," and an insider joked in a separate report to Express, "If you're asking who Her Majesty's favorite child is, it's none of them, it's her daughter-in-law." Rounding out the Christmas group is Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.

Despite the disappointments, many are hopeful the queen and her family will still have a good Christmas!